Southwest
of Wuxi on the shore of
Lihu Lake (formerly Wuli
Lake), this famous
garden occupies 5.4
hectares, almost half of
which is water area. It
is said that in the
fifth century B.C., Fan
Li, a senior official of
the State of Yue,
retired after having
helped his master King
Gou Jian defeat the
State of Wu. He went
boating on Wuli Lake
with Xi Shi, a famous
beauty, and changed the
name of the lake to Lihu
after his own given
name. Liyuan Garden,
with its pavilions,
corridors, and causeways
at the lake side, is
exquisitely designed and
harmonious in colour.
Its manmade hills were
erected to resemble the
shapes of clouds. They
are ascended along
spiraling, labyrinthine
paths.